How to Build a Little Adobe Paper House
Paper is an incredibly versatile art medium. Not only is it useful when dry and flat, but it can be converted into a serviceable clay. Paper clay is inexpensive, the main ingredients being water and paper scraps. It is pliable and easy to work with, and when it dries, it is not only sturdy but easy to paint and decorate. Some people add some sand or dry cement to the mix and build adobe houses out of paper pulp clay that people actually live in. You can experiment with it yourself by building this model paper adobe house.
Things You'll Need
- Scrap papers
- Scissors
- Measuring cup
- Blender
- Water
- Craft glue
- Sieve
- Disposable can or container
- Plastic drop cloth or vinyl tablecloth
- Chicken wire
- Paper package wrapping tape
- Plastic storage bag
- Acrylic craft paints and brushes
Instructions
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Making Paper Pulp Clay
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1
Collect some scrap paper for your project, such as old newspapers and magazines, notes and memos, fliers, paper lunch bags or an old phone book.
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2
Cut or tear the paper into approximately one inch strips. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Tear the strips into roughly 1-by-1 inch squares. They don’t have to be perfectly square, they just have to be small.
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3
Place 2 cups of torn-up paper scraps into a blender carafe. Add 2 cups of hot water from the tap. Allow it to sit 15 to 30 minutes.
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4
Pour 1/2 cup of non-toxic white craft glue or gel school glue into the mixture. Blend on high until the paper is shredded and pulp-like. If the mixture is too thick for the blade to rotate easily, add more water.
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5
Pour the mixture into a sieve and let the excess water drain into a can or disposable container. Don’t allow the water to pour down the sink as it can clog your drain; discard it outdoors.
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6
Squeeze the paper pulp in your hand to rid it of any excess moisture and place the clay in a plastic food storage bag or container. Close the bag or cover it tightly until you are ready to work with the clay. This will provide you with enough paper pulp for a small model adobe, about the size of a grapefruit. You can make more paper pulp if you wish to make a larger model.
Making a Little Adobe House
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7
Create a frame out of a piece of chicken wire. Cut the wire so that it is round, then shape it in a hump, in the size that you desire. Snip off a rounded area, like a mouse hole, for a door.
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8
Wrap the wire frame in paper package-wrapping tape to hold it’s shape. Bend and shape it as you do to achieve the desired skeletal structure for the project. Set it on an old plastic table cloth.
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9
Take piece of paper pulp and mold it in your hand until it is smooth. Press it to the wire frame to cover it, making the pulp about 1/4 inch thick.
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10
Allow the paper pulp to dry for several days in a cool, dry area. Paint the paper adobe with acrylic craft paints as you desire to decorate the model house.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Use heavy duty aluminum foil or a cardboard bowl or cup as an alternate option for a frame if you don’t want to work with chicken wire. Always wrap metal or plastic structures with paper packing tape; structures made out of paper products need not be taped.
Do not attempt to dry paper pulp in the oven or with a heat gun.
